Typically, weather in my home state of Maryland skips the transitional seasons; we get a week or so of comfortable, a-few-degrees-below-room-temperature highs in the spring or fall and other than that it’s either tshirt weather or collar-up-against-the-wind winter. Which sucks, because transitional seasons are the best for clothing.
As epitomized by Eric, who blogs at Acute Style, autumn is your best chance to mix texture, pattern, and color in tailored clothing. In the photos above, Eric wears three profoundly autumnal tweedy plaid jackets, which can be difficult to match—the easiest choice is to wear very quiet clothes otherwise: minimal colors and few textures or patterns. Eric is a pro, though, and manages to work complementary color and a variety of textures in: fuzzy flannel trousers and smoother cotton khakis; oxfords in pink and brick candy-stripe, and even some knits in gray cable and burgundy. A master of the thrifty, extensive wardrobe, Eric also makes use of the Put This On favorite black knit tie. Sticking to a generally trad/prep theme helps, much like in the combos of Heavy Tweed Jacket.
To me, the best part about Eric’s photos is the variety of garments he chooses and his ability to make them all look modern and coordinated—I know all too well the thrill of finding a great vintage piece and the agony of realizing it’s just too dated to wear with current clothing.
Before we get into the holiday season, when coats will cover up most North Americans, take advantage of the chill. Instead of looking in the mirror and removing one thing on the way out the door, look in the mirror and add a complementary texture, pattern, or color.
–Pete
